Buffalo Forums

I recently bought a 1TB Buffalo External HDD USB3.0. The moment I connect to my computer, it has continuous repeating clicking sounds and has random disconnection issue.

I went to Buffalo Singapore tech support office at French Road and was given a new 1 to 1 exchange. However the same thing happened again i.e. randomly disconnect issue and the scary clicking sounds.

Furthermore, my laptop computer is new less than 1 year old and all usb are USB3.0

A check online show this is not the first time Buffalo has this issue. Another member here also have same problem. See link here  which was posted in April 2010:  >>>  http://forums.buffalotech.com/index.php?topic=4616.0

I never had a clicking sound problem with my 1TB Toshiba HDD and Western Digital.

Check online further pointed the fault could be the cable problem or power base problem. It could be design fault.

Since Buffalo did manage to resolve the issue even with a new exchange HDD; I think we are entitled to asked for a refund. It will be extremely damaging if all our data are loss or damage and they should understand this real valid concern.


On side note, Buffalo only assembled and manufactured the casing. Anyone know which brand of HDD it used for 1TB external HDD?

I hope they will resolve this for me once and for wall. Loss of data will be very damaging and no one can replace the data if it is lost.

So.. clicking sounds mean drive is most likely failing. Unless its done that since day one and its a western digital green drive in side the buffalo case. Power cable casing a clicking sound.. not likely, random disconnects sure but since its making a clicking sound I still think the drive is going out. Power base problem, same thing as i stated before. Its very possible that a drive could be bad out the box. Happens to every company as they expect a certain amount of DOAs.

I will now respond to just about everything else.

Entitled to a refund, if you bought it from Buffalo store and its in the return time frame of the policy i would see why they wont unless the see that you damaged the device like dropping it. But if you didn't buy it from buffalo, you wont get a refund from buffalo. You would need to contact the people you bought it from like amazon, walmart, newegg.. etc.

That link you posted. there issue sounds like they have a western digital green drive in the unit. Western Digital made the green drives to have a high head speed which makes the noise. You have to adjust the firmware in the drive to fix it.

When comparing this unit to other manufactures... its kind of funny... because these are the same drive manufactures in those as well -_-. Price point is what matters. Of course buffalo doesn't make there own drives. Way to expensive to do that. Neither does Dell, HP, or other companies, They just get re-branded stickers for theirs.

If your worried about losing your data your should probably not have once source of the data and start have 2 or more. 1 source of data is not a backup its just data. 2 or more is a backup. If you drive crashes and you lose your data. Its no ones fault but you own for not having a backup if you lose your data. This is how every storage company works.

This is the truth, its harsh but hard drives are not perfect and will fail over time. No hard drive last forever. Certain types of data cant be replace, your right, thats why you backup. Cant afford that kind of solution, get a unit that has redundancy so at least you have something. Im not trying to be mean or rude its just the way I word things so dont take no offense.

Thanks Joma for your prompt response.

I checked out the Western Digital forum site which also had the same problem and one of the reply there is it could be the cable or powerbase. It could be because right now I connected direct to pc without sharing single usb port and the noise went away. But on other occasion even though I connected direct to single usb on my pc, same problem...i.e. the dreaded clicking sounds + random disconnect.

As mentioned in my OP above, I had exchanged one to one with Buffalo service centre but is has same problem immediately. When test at their office no sound. Strange. When I connect to my few different notebooks, same issue again.

Unfortunately  although the day I first time connect to pc, it already shown clicking sounds I did not have time to bring it back within 7 days. So now the only choice is to get Buffalo to give me another new non-faulty one or refund. I had a feeling exchange to another new one going to be the same thing.

Sounds like your not pushing enough power threw the usb ports then. What OS is your laptop? Also remember buffalo wont give you a refund IF you didnt buy if from them. You would have to contact the reseller you bought it from